Documents, such as audit and business reports, tax returns and proposals, are often secured within a report cover. The cover can be used to protect the documents and reduce the likelihood of damage thereto. The cover is often employed to impress the recipient and to increase the perceived value of services rendered. Ideally, the report cover should secure the report therein yet permit ease of access to the report. In particular, if the report is opened to a certain page while lying on a desk, the report cover should not cause pages of the report to flyback or have a tendency to close the report. It is also desirable to cover any staples or other fastening members to provide a more pleasing and professional appearance to the report. Ideally, the report cover should be reusable indefinitely and should permit the rapid insertion or deletion of the document therein to update the document.
Several attempts have been made to construct report covers having the above-noted features. One example is the QUICK BIND system sold by Gestetner Corporation of Gestetner Park, Yonkers, N.Y. 10703. This system requires the punching of numerous small holes along one edge of each page in the document to accommodate costly binding members. A bar, having thin rod-like members extending from one side of the bar, is positioned on one side of the document, with the rod-like pins extending through the holes formed in the document. A second bar, having apertures for receiving the ends of each. pin, is positioned on the opposite side of the document. The pins pass through the apertures in the second bar and are thermally bound thereto to secure the document. This system has several drawbacks. It is virtually impossible to open a document bound by this system and place it on a table without flyback of pages of the report or the report closing. Severe bending of the pages of the report or a paperweight may be necessary to keep the report open to the page desired. This bending can accidentally tear individual sheets from the report, because the binding holes are extremely close to the edge of the document sheet. Also, it requires a separate and costly device to punch the holes in the paper and to bind the pins to the second bar. Misalignment of the punching tool will ruin pages of the document. The bars prevent ready filing of the documents within conventional filing systems and do not have a pleasing appearance. Once bound within the system, the removal of the document would essentially require the destruction of the binding system.
A multiple ring cover is also commonly used. This requires the cutting of circular or elongate holes in the document along an edge thereof. A binding member is provided which extends along the length of the document to be bound and on which are mounted loops, each comprised of two overlapping semicircular flexible rings, which can be threaded through the holes put in the document to secure the document together. This system has many drawbacks. Every document page and both covers must be carefully jogged and inserted into a special machine that punches holes in only a few sheets of paper at a time. Pages not properly jogged or inserted into the machine will be punched too close to the edge--and ruined. After punching, every hole in every sheet must be threaded over the member's circular rings which have been spread open by a special machine. The large, protruding binding member detracts from the professional appearance of the report and causes major problems in report handling, filing and mailing. Since all document pages are loosely bound and may be easily removed-either accidentally or intentionally--this system provides virtually no security for permanent reference to valuable documents.
The above binding techniques, and other techniques, have not been totally satisfactory. Each of these techniques has had one or more disadvantages such as mentioned previously. A need therefore exists for a report cover which satisfies most or all of the advantages noted above for a low manufacturing price.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,426, issued Oct. 22, 1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,994, issued Nov. 17, 1987, disclose a significant improvement in binding techniques.